Ruth was born in David City, Nebraska. Her mother died when she was 5, and her father left her with her grandparents, George and Hannah Etting, who owned a roller mill. Her father remarried and moved away, seldom visiting his daughter. When she was 17 she moved to Chicago to attend art school, and got a job designing costumes at a night club. One night the tenor got sick and since she was the only one who could sing low enough, she took his place, and landed a job in the chorus. By 1918 she was one of the club's featured vocalists. It was there she met Moe "The Gimp" Snyder, a wanna-be gangster who took over management of Ruth's career and married her in 1922.
After her New York sucess, she moved to Los Angeles and had roles in a number of films including Roman Scandals with Eddie Cantor. There are conflicting stories about the scandal that virtually ended her career. The marriage between Ms. Etting and The Gimp was virtually loveless from the beginning, and he was a demanding and controlling manager who would not let other men near his wife. They were divorced in 1937. While in Los Angeles she began spending time with Myrl Alderman, a pianist who had played with her earlier in her career. In 1938, The Gimp forced his way into Ruth's house, and shot Alderman, wounding him. The subsequent trial put a halt to her career, although she did make some appearances in 1947. Ruth and Myrl married and retired to Colorado Springs, where she died in 1978. The academy award nominated movie version of her life story, Love me or Leave Me, with Jimmy Cagney and Doris Day, was apparently highly fictionalized.
Hold me
Ruth Etting Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you're far away I'm always blue
If you want me to remain romantic
Here are all the things you'll have to do
Hold me honey won't you hold he
Hold me never let me go
Take me honey won't you take me
'Cause I love you so
Thrill me, let your kisses thrill me
Just like you alone can do
Hold me tenderly enfold me
Never try to hold me from you
I love every little thing about you
Every thing you say and all you do
I would be a total loss without you
What becomes of me is up to you
Hold me honey won't you hold me
Hold me never let me go
Take me honey won't you take me
Never to forsake me
'Cause I love you so
Thrill me Let your kisses thrill me
Just like you alone can do
Hold me tenderly, enfold me
The song "Hold Me" by Ruth Etting is a beautiful expression of love and longing. The lyrics convey the profound emotions that the singer experiences in the presence and absence of her lover. The opening lines "When you're near me I feel so romantic, when you're far away I'm always blue" capture the depth of the singer's feelings. She feels intense emotions when her lover is near, but also experiences a sense of emptiness and sadness when they are apart.
The singer then goes on to describe the things that her lover must do to keep her romantic. She implores him to hold her and never let her go, to take care of her, and to thrill her with his kisses. The chorus repeats the plea for the lover to hold her and never let her go. The singer also acknowledges that without her lover she would be lost, and her fate is in his hands. The final line of the song, "Never try to hold me from you," is a poignant reminder that the love shared between them is strong and eternal.
The song is a beautiful expression of the power of love and the depth of feelings that it can evoke. The singer's vulnerable and emotional delivery highlights the intensity of her love for her partner. The lyrics also convey the complexities of relationships and how much effort is required to keep a love alive.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're near me I feel so romantic
Being near you makes me feel romantic
When you're far away I'm always blue
When you're not around, I'm always sad
If you want me to remain romantic
If you want me to stay romantic
Here are all the things you'll have to do
These are the things you have to do
Hold me honey won't you hold me
Please hold me
Hold me never let me go
Hold me and never let me go
Take me honey won't you take me
Please take me
Never to forsake me
Don't ever abandon me
'Cause I love you so
Because I love you so much
Thrill me, let your kisses thrill me
Make me feel thrilled with your kisses
Just like you alone can do
You're the only one who can make me feel this way
Hold me tenderly enfold me
Hold me gently, surround me
Never try to hold me from you
Don't ever push me away from you
I love every little thing about you
I love every small detail about you
Every thing you say and all you do
Everything you say and do
I would be a total loss without you
I would be completely lost without you
What becomes of me is up to you
What happens to me is in your hands
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Barry Gibb, Maurice Ernest Gibb, Robin Gibb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tommy nevils
Don't you love this version of "Hold Me?" I think it's the best. Nice and slow in the beginning and then the upbeat. She could do it. 1931 was a great year for popular songs. Just look at all the hit songs published that year and how they were brought back decades later.
Muffs 55mercury
That the first picture I've ever seen of Ruth in her elder years. Still looking very nice, and happy, thanks for posting.
Tadfafty
Ruth Etting became a painter after retiring from singing, I wonder if she painted those behind her.
Jim Bedoian
It was Ziegfeld who replaced Lee immediately following a drunken onstage appearance. Lee was fired on the spot and Ruth just happened to be available at the time. If Ruth had not been free, Ziegfeld would simply have found someone else. It was not a situation in which Ruth took the part away from Lee.
Jay Raskin
I can't forgive Ruth for replacing Lee Morse in that Ziegfeld show.